cultivate

Heart and Seek.... 3rd edition

2012-02-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Thirty days hath september,

April,June,and November.

FEBRUARY has twenty eight alone,

All the rest have thirty one.

Except leap year; that's the time

When FEBRUARY's days are twenty nine.

(Or something like that)

It's here! The month of LOVE! the month of HEARTS!
so let's begin our game ofHEART and SEEK!!!
The past two years have brought some amazing HEART finds and so this year I am going to change the rules a bit and share these discoveries alongside the HEARTS that have popped up more recently...Let's get started shall we?

i always love the tree HEARTS!
this one comes from a wonderful photographer and friend, Patty Waite

and this is the first of "many" heart surprises
we have all found sneaking into our mouths.
this potato chip landed on my dear friend, rachel awes plate.
(no wonder she is so sweet...she's always eating lots of love!)

i love this one from the archives. a painted HEART from above.
from a beautiful soul, friend and artist...peggy krantz

another woman stitched into my own HEART,

made this awesome ball of love last year...

my wise, amazing, talented, sweet friend, patrice longmire

i hope these little HEART treasures have inspired you to be on the lookout for love and HEARTS all around you. they are slow in the discovery for me this year, but i KNOW they are out there and i am determined to seek them out!!!

(again, if you have a HEART to share with us

please email me HERE...)

the 3rd annual HEART and SEEK...

2012-01-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

so if you have followed my blog for at least a year or so,

you may know that i LOVE HEARTS!!!

for the past two years i have had a little tradition

that i have really enjoyed doing

and i want to continue it again this year.

i am happy to bring you...

"the 3rd annual HEART and SEEK"

starting on february 1st, 2012

what is this you say?

well you can read about last years adventure HERE

or the very first "heart and seek" HERE

in the beginning...i proposed that there were WAY more HEARTS hiding out there in our everyday lives that we don't realize or take the time to notice and i thought it would be fun to have a 14 day HEART scavenger hunt. what i found was that all my friends out in blog land found the most AMAZING HEARTS ever. i mean some of these HEART surprises were astounding!!!

my friend lisa towery

had to snap this HEART quickly before it faded away.

how awesome is this!!!

or like this cool HEART discovery

nestled in a rock, captured by my friend patti waite!!!

it might be as easy as being more aware of those orange peels

lying on your table at lunch.

HEARTS hide everywhere...you just need to open your eyes

and your mind to them.

i'll share my discoveries with you each day right here.

and if you would like to play along...i'd LOVE you to do so.

just include a comment with a link to your photo

or email me HERE.

HAPPY HEART HUNTING!!!

{see you on feb. 1st}

love. love. love.

2012-01-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

hello lovlies...

if you've followed my blog for any amount of time,

you know that i love me some margie romney-aslett.

she is just one of the most creative friends i have.

i've shared with you her "SPARK THE EVENT"

which she puts on every fall.

and i shared HERE about her "SPARK YOUR CHRISTMAS"

well, miss margie is at it again with some really fun

ideas for valentines. valentines is the one holiday that i hardly have any decorations for and so i am thrilled that margie is going to share with us how to SPARK up our homes for this holiday of LOVE!!!

seriously?

look at that backdrop of book paper she made for her set? to die for!!!

this new online class is called

love love love

and i have no doubt we are going to LOVE it!

class started today but never fear,

we can still sign up and watch her tutorials

for the next six months!!!

and the best part is that it's only $19.99

for 3 videos. that's such a steal!

so visit margie HERE to read about the goodness

and sign yourselves up girlfriends!!!

xoxo

More goodness....

2012-01-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

happy monday friends...

i wanted to share another class that i think is going to be incredibly amazing. it is an e-course taught by my sweet friend, jeanne oliver called

CREATIVELY MADE!!!!

i shouldn't have waited so long to share this good news with you because today is the last day to sign up for the course, so RUN to JEANNE'S SITE AND REGISTER HERE

through mixed media, journal making, journal techniques, collage, leather, metal stamping, charcoal drawing, image transfers and so much more, jeanne is going to help us

* accept the gifts we were given

* see how our perspective changes everything

* grow and "cultivate" our gifts

* let go

everything jeanne touches is golden and i mean "everything" so i have NO doubt this is going to be an amazing course that you won't want to miss!!

have a creative week!

Happy New Year Friends...

2012-01-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

dear friends...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

wow! what a year 2011 was for me!

how about you?

i can safely say that i am happy to see it behind me and look forward to a fresh new start in 2012.

i am still working on my word of the year.

last year's word was

TRUST

and it was a perfect word for me!

i am excited about some new adventures i have in my head

and a new direction with my art that i want to follow.

i am excited to grow and learn and cul*ti*vate

with myself, my family and my friends this year.

there are some wonderful things swirling about right now

and i wanted to share just a smidgen

of what i am peeking at....with you!!!

i am super excited to see my sweet friend, Christy Tomlinson

teaming up with the talented Junelle Jacobson.

i have worked with christy on several adventures and

i worked with junelle on

the 12 artsy ornaments of christmas.

together they are teaching a 3 week journaling workshop that should be full of fabulous ideas.

you can read more and sign up HERE

mindy lacefield is one of my favorite artists and friends.

i have been cheering her on since i first started this blog.

i am so excited that she is going to be teaching a workshop on how we can just "let go" and paint, rather than thinking about the details so much. like we did when we were children!! love you mindy!!

you can read more and sign up HERE

(mindy is giving away a free class too, so hurry)

i love to find wonderful new supplies for my mixed media art and i am so thrilled to announce the launch of my dear friend rhonna farrer's new collection..."FOLLOW YOUR HEART!"

if there is ever someone i have met who follows her heart it's rhonna. she is just a bundle of

wonderful-heartfull-ness!

(that's a new word i just made up just for her!)

just check out this eye candy below!!!

can you say YUM.EEEEE.

i can hardly wait!!!!

this collection will be unveiled at CHA (the craft and hobby trade show) in a few weeks with MY MINDS EYE...

and

you can always buy the digital and printable add-ons of the this collection at RHONNA DESIGNS

go rhonna...i am so excited that we get to be

the recipients of all your talents. love you!

i am just touching the surface of all the goodness that is out there in the art and craft world right now.

i'll be back to share more soon.

in the meantime...what are your goals for the new year?

what excites you? what do you have your heart set on?

share share share

an easy peasy caprese....

2011-12-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

last weekend was a tad bit busy.

on saturday night i realized that i had about an hour to get ready for a party and prepare an appetizer...YIKES!

i always do this.

i never leave myself enough time to make something worthy of sharing.

.....until now!!!

meet the simplest appetizer i have ever made.

(forgive my photo quality...it's from my iphone)

caprese salad bites

here is what you need...

cherry tomatoes (or any small tomato) - cut in half

fresh basil - chopped into squares

fresh mozzarella cheese pearls - cut in half

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

course sea salt & pepper

toothpicks

take a tomato halve and stick it on the toothpick

add a mozzarella halve

then a square of basil

then top it with the other half of tomato.

lay all your little skewers on a plate all pretty like.

drizzle olive oil over the top.

take some of your balsamic vinegar and heat it up over medium high heat in a pan until it boils down to a thick reduction, not globby,

but thicker than it was before.

(sorry, i'm not an exact science recipe girl when i make things up)

pour the balsamic reduction over the skewers.

finish by sprinkling sea salt and pepper over the top.

chill till it's time to serve.

this totally saved me and will be my new go-to

when i need to share an appetizer.

what kinds of recipes do you rely on when you're running short on time?

SPARK YOUR CHRISTMAS 2011

2011-12-04T22:32:00.001-07:00

hi friends...

this is my beautiful girlfriend...MARGIE ROMNEY-ASLETT

she is golden. and everything she touches SPARKles!

BIG TIME!!!

tomorrow, december 5th, my margie girl is launching an online workshop called

"SPARK YOUR CHRISTMAS!!!"

that you will NOT want to miss.

It comes on the heals of margie's creative event called...

"SPARK"

(i have an entire other blog post to share with you about this amazing event,

but just let it be said that every single one of you girls should be there next year!!!)

One of the things that is just so amazing about SPARK is that every single one of the decorations is "handmade"...that's right...EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.

Margie has the most amazing knack for using as little cashola as she can and as much creativity as she can muster...(which is a WHOLE lot..) and creating crazy, over the top, beautiful decor.

"SPARK YOUR CHRISTMAS" is an online class filled with SPARK inspired projects from gift ideas to decorations to garlands and more...for your christmas pleasure!!!

follow THIS LINK....

for more info and to sign up...it's not too late!!!

************

also....

don't forget that tomorrow, december 5th starts the

12 ARTSY ORNAMENT OF CHRISTMAS

(Margie is also one of the amazing artists participating with me in this workshop)

follow THIS LINK....

for more info and to sign up!

and as always...i would LOVE to know what you are doing to

CUL*TI*VATE a wonderful holiday season in your homes!!!

xo!

IT'S AROUND THE CORNER.....

2011-11-29T11:11:00.001-07:00

Hi dear friends...

In 7 days from today the 12 ARTSY ORNAMENTS OF CHRISTMAS

online workshop will begin. It is going to be so much fun. The artists participating in this workshop are so awesome! Here is a little sneak peak of what my portion of the workshop will be...

I am going to be teaching you how to make a cute christmas cottage out of vintage book paper. This was so much fun to make and there are SO many great things you can do with this little house.

I made mine into a garland with lots of little houses and strips of burlap (LOOVE burlap) and old linen strips, stamped with jolly christmas words.

But I also show how you can bling it up and make your vintage house into an ornament or a package topper or even a cute little table top village.

Here are some sneak peeks of some of the other wonderful ornaments and christmas decor that we'll be learning...

Donna Downey makes the sweetest burlap, linen & twin christmas balls

Alisa Burke shows us how to make watercolored paper ornaments.

My dear talented friend, Margie Romney-Aslett puts together this most awesome vintage bird ornament, sitting in his nest, sportin a classy christmas party hat.

Jeanne Oliver, whom you all know i adore...creates this vintage burlap wreath to add to your decor this year...(Jeanne has a new line launching this friday, you won't want to miss it, her stuff is simply beautiful and sells out quickly!)

The other artists sharing their goodness will be...

Danielle Donaldson, Junelle Jacobson, Kaari Meng,

Shea Fragoso and Debbie Murray (the gilded girls!) and Kelly Barton!

It would be so fun to have you join us.

All the details and sign-ups can be found on Christy Tomlinson's Blog...

HERE or HERE

I would love to know if you will be creating along with us!

chrissy

STAY TRUE!!!

2011-11-21T22:27:00.001-07:00

so we had a new

open here in utah.

i just moved here from phoenix where we had one open a few years ago

so i knew the hoopla that was going to go along with it.

i should've known better than to go to the mall with my girls on the very same day that it opened. dang my planning skills. IT WAS CRAZY! luckily the girls wanted to eat at the cheesecake factory more than they wanted to stand in line for an hour....just to enter the store.

(cheesecake always speaks loudly to the gardner girls)

so i let the mayhem die down a bit and dropped in today.

surprisingly i didn't find anything i HAD to have.

but they did have the cutest t-shirt that i simply had to share with you guys...

isn't this so cute.

you can't tell, but it's stitched on with sequins.

i just loved it's message and thought it was worth sharing as i am busy trying to raise children to

STAY TRUE to themselves.

STAY TRUE to their uniqueness.

STAY TRUE to their beliefs.

STAY TRUE to the values we strive to teach them in our home.

STAY TRUE. STAY TRUE. STAY TRUE.

(i think i see a new art piece in the near future...)

what are you trying to STAY TRUE to today?

cultivate a renewed effort to STAY TRUE!

*****

don't forget to go sign up for

the 12 artsy ornaments of christmas...

HERE

my craft channel dot com...

2011-11-17T13:10:00.001-07:00

so has anyone visited

www.mycraftchannel.com yet?

it's actually a really cool concept. kristine mckay brought together several artists within the craft industry and created 12 different

craft shows around the various elements that each artist works with.

two of my sweet friends, christy tomlinson and april meeker,

both have their own shows on this new website.

so awhile back christy asked me to come be a guest on her show and i was so thrilled to be able to do this with her. it was an especially awesome day because 3 of my dear friends, margie romney-aslett, danielle donaldson and jeanne oliver, all came in town to film with christy.

danielle, jeanne and christy brainstorming

christy and jeanne getting ready to shoot

christy and margie on the studio computer

me, margie, christy, jeanne and danielle
(photo from jeanne's blog)
it was such a fun day in the studio. i pinch myself every time i have an opportunity to create and rub shoulders with such AMAZING artists.

(photo from margie)

...especially THIS artist!

christy has become such a dear friend to me. she has really wise counsel to share with me and is always so willing to go out of her way to make me feel so good about myself. i tell ya, i can be having thee worst day and just a text or a phone call from christy can turn that frown...upside down! it is such a blessing to know that there is someone in your corner who still jumps up and down and shakes those pom poms for you...especially when you can't even seem to squeeze into that cheerleader skirt for yourself! christy is over-the-moon talented and if you haven't taken the time to sign up for one of her WORKSHOPS you are missing out. they are so affordable, which i LOVE and christy has the best personnality to teach. SHE IS HILARIOUS!

so do yourself a favor and breath in some christy for yourself.

among other places...you can find her

HERE ON HER BLOG

HERE FOR HER WORKSHOPS

(including the 12 artsy ornaments of christmas)

and

HERE ON MY CRAFT CHANNEL

and i'm nervous and scared and yet happy to announce that my episode with christy aired today and you can watch that HERE

hope you take the chance to pop on over to

my craft channel and be inspired to create something wonderful today!

12 ARTSY ORNAMENTS OF CHRISTMAS

2011-11-15T13:41:00.001-07:00

HAPPY TUESDAY!!

I hope many of you were able to go out yesterday and

"GIVE"

a bit of your love to those around you!

I am super excited to announce that I will be participating in a new holiday mini workshop by my dear sweet friend,

CHRISTY TOMLINSON!!!

It's called

THE 12 ARTSY ORNAMENTS of CHRISTMAS.

I feel so blessed to be able to team up

with these 10 amazingly artsy designers...

Christy Tomlinson, Donna Downey, Margie Romney Aslett,

Jeanne Oliver, Shea Fragoso & Debbie Murray(from the Gilded Life), Kaari Meng(from French General), Junelle jacabson,

Alisa Burke, Danielle Donaldson and Kelly Barton.

CAN YOU EVEN STAND THAT LINE-UP!!!

It gives me goosebumps!

This will be a 5 day workshop starting on December 5th.

Each day for 4 days, you will be shown how to make creative and handmade ornaments or holiday decor using fabric, metal, paint, glass and more...by 3 new wonderful teachers each day..and to wrap things up on day 5...we will feature some awesome bonus projects and downloads,exclusive to the workshop from the different artists!

The entire workshop is packaged into full detailed videos which will be available to you for 6 months, so you will have plenty of time to go back and watch

and learn at your own pace.

I am over-the-moon excited about this workshop

and think it's just the most PERFECT thing

to get your holiday creative juices flowing.

For more info about this workshop and how to sign up...

Please click on the link below!

12 ARTSY ORNAMENTS OF CHRISTMAS

a five day mini workshop

$19.95

also, if you have any questions at all please feel free to comment below or email me at chrissycultivates@gmail.com

and

i would LOVE LOVE LOVE to know who is going to participate!

cultivate some holiday mojo!!!

blessings of heaven....

2011-11-14T10:15:00.001-07:00

i was going through all of my photos from this summer and wondering where in the world to start with my recap of all our goings on. what i realized was that i was blessed this summer. VERY VERY BLESSED.

and it made me think...

so many others were "giving" to me...what did i offer to those around me, to bless their lives?

and so today, instead of showering you with photos of

"summer days in the life of the gardner home"...

i am going to go out and

give.

i am going to get off this computer and

go do, serve, sacrifice a bit...

maybe you could do the same and we could each bring

the blessings of heaven back into our own homes.

that's no sacrifice right!

xo!

cultivate sweet giving...

yes...i am alive!

2011-10-31T20:52:00.000-07:00

"greetings from utah"

over the past 5 months...i've wondered if i would ever make it back to this place.

it has been a very twisted and long summer my friends.

our family waited for over 5 months to buy a short sale home,

that fell through in the end.

needless to mention, 99% of our belongings were in storage until 2 weeks ago.

it was a loooooooong summer of camping out on blowup mattresses.

1 chair to split between 7 people (and the dog).

a card table. 1 bathroom for all 5 of my children. (yikes!)

plastic plates and cups and forks from wal.mart.

mean neighbors.

long commutes from where we "lived" to where we "played".

new schools. grumpy secretaries. no friends.

and on and on and on.

BUT

there were so many blessings that have come our way.

so many adventures.

so many answered prayers.

a lot of learning and togetherness and compromise.

and

now we have a new home.

lots of boxes to unpack,

BUT

furniture to sit on and beds with which to lay our weary heads on at night.

real dishes and do-dads to decorate our new space.

and our computer!!! YAY!

i have missed all my sweet friends and have so much to catch up on,

both here and in your own little worlds.

i look forward to my re-entry into this world of

CUL*ti*VAT*ING

all that is good in life.

so fill me in...what's been going on in your corner of the world?

a goodbye....of sorts.

2011-05-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

i have written and re-written this post 100 times in my head.

and do you think i can remember one bit of how i intended to say

what i want to say to you guys? no!

so i.ll just say it.

this past week was busy busy busy.

i was going to write a list ( i love lists) of everything i had to do

so you all would understand WHY i haven't been so attentive to this blog

or in visiting your own blogs that i love so much.

but

i realized that this is life. i am no more busy than the rest of you.

perhaps i am going through different life situations...

last week of school for 5 kiddos, a middle school promotion (above)

a highschool graduation,

picking up my dad from the airport and trying to entertain his sweet heart

while packing up our entire house for 2 days, then taking the next two days to load the biggest moving van i have ever seen. watching that truck drive away with our life inside was a tear jerker.

helping my children to say goodbye to a place they have called home for more than 14 years has been one of the hardest jobs i have had to do as a mom.

goodbyes are hard for me.

i don't like them.

thats why THIS particular post is a hard one for me to write.

i am saying goodbye.

(thankfully for me...NOT FOR GOOD)

but i will be taking a blog break for the summer.

i decided i need to put my entire focus on finding a new nest in utah.

on helping my children to build new wings that will need to withstand some growing pains and some cold days. i need to strengthen my own wings as well.

please know that i will be out there checking in on all of you...my lovely friends.

i have made SO many amazing connections through this silly old blog of mine.

i may even post a photo or two when i just can't stand not sharing my world around me with you all.

so this is one of the last things i need to pack up. my computer.

i made the movers leave it on the carpet so i could wait until

the final moment to write my farewells.

and this is me. little chrissy.

giving you a cheesy smile as i turn off my computer for the last time for a few weeks.

please know that i love you.

please know that i cherish your friendship.

please know that i will return again soon...refreshed and refocused

and hopefully re-nested.

don't forget to

CULTIVATE

all the wonderful things that life has to offer.

i.ll be out there checking up on you to make sure you are keeping up with your assignment.

all my love,

chrissy

p.s. i get email on my phone and would love nothing more than to hear from you.

chrissycultivates@gmail.com

don't hesitate to share all the cultivating!

Safe Place All Can Embark...SPACE

2011-05-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

10 women from around the country {and three in our hearts}

gathered in sedona, arizona recently.

it was the dream of 3 girls to provide a SPACE where some hearts could reunite

and some hearts could merge for the first time.

the love explosion that occurred was priceless.

we broke bread together.

we created together.

we learned from one another.

we enjoyed the amazing beauty that surrounded us...together.

but most of all..we just loved one another.

i HIGHLY suggest you...

cultivate a SPACE where you can gather together souls you love and adore

and to these women...

i adore you!!!!

sometimes i forget to brace myself...

2011-05-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

coming down from floating in the clouds this week.

sometimes the landing is harder than i expect.

simmering the memories.

i.ll share soon.

headed into the clouds....

2011-05-10T23:26:00.000-07:00

do you ever find a photo of yourself and think...

"what in the ?"

"who took this awkward picture of me?"

and

"where the flip was i?"

{oh please say yes}

such is the case with me above.

i do however wish i would have bought the shirt i am modeling!

"LOVE CLOUDS"

GIVE US THEIR SWEET RAIN

i am headed into some

"love clouds"

of my own for the next few days!

much needed i may say.

i can.t wait to return with my weather report!

cultivate the atmosphere you need MOST right now!!!

mothers...especially mine!

2011-05-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

carolyn ann wallace spurrier

1933-2004

it.s here again. that time of year when we celebrate mothers.

and aunts. and sisters. and next door neighbor ladies.

in essence, the women who had some hand

in molding us into the people we are today.

mothers day is always bitter sweet for me.

this is the 7th mothers day i have spent without my mom.

but...

every year that goes by, still stings like the first.

see...i have an angel mother.

she was an angel even when she was alive on this earth.

{you just couldn't see her wings}

just two days ago i had a really bad crumby, crappy, all out sobbing kind of day.

one of those days where i would have just picked up the phone

and immediately called my mom. but i couldn.t.

and although i have amazing people in my life that are there for me,

no one was going to do but her.

my mom was that bridge for me...that when i crossed it...

there was safety.

and warmth.

and unconditional love.

there was sensitivity.

and strong arms.

and patience.

there was listening

and sometimes saying nothing...which often said everything.

there was strength.

and poise.

and prayer.

and faith.

and testimony.

what a blessing it was {and is...} to be

carolyn ann wallace spurrier's

daughter. her only daughter.

i realize that not everyone had a mother like mine.

i realize that some of you will never feel about your mothers,

the way i feel about mine.

i realize that there are those of you out there who are experiencing

your first mothers day without your mom...

...or your 5th or your 10th or your 20th.

i realize that there are children whose mothers have been taken too soon.

and i realize that many of you have stepped in to be a mother to a child

or children where there wasn't one.

to every woman who "creates"

and who loves and cares for another...

i wish you

a blessed mothers day!!!

i honor you!

girlfriends are a necessity of life...

2011-04-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

my goodness!

how can it have possibly been 2 weeks since i wrote last?

where does the time go?

my little girlie get-away was oh so amazing.

this was our view from the house we rented together in logan, utah.

i was overjoyed that it rained during our visit since rain is a rarity in phoenix.

{and we spent almost 98% of our time in our pajamas anyway so rain away}

this is what happens when 8 women go to the store HUNGRY...

...and fill their separate carts with NO MEAL PLAN!!

we could have fed all of you in those 4 days!!! and your families too!

luckily we had some clever culinary women amongst us...

who knew how to throw things together....

and pamper us with their kitchen skills.

{sorry mel i didn.t get a photo of the JAMBALAYA!!!! you rocked it though!}

we came together with no agenda...just love.

we each brought our separate art forms to work on...

a lot of painting...

a little stitching...

i think christy brought her entire art studio...

{but in her defense...she had a deadline to meet!!}

one of our outings took us to "the bluebird" for lunch

it.s a neat old restaurant in the middle of town.

{who is the silly photographer in the mirror...ooops}

{i am pretty sure my grandma spurrier ate horehound candy back in the day!}

{these girls can ingest some serious whip cream...

the waitress finally just came back with the entire can of it for our table!}

this was a hilarious shot i snapped of my girls taking a picture of ........

THIS... bluebird on the ceiling. artists are so funny!

we made sure to get our antique and thrift store shopping in.

we shared advice....and found some along the way...

it says..."FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES. IT MESSES UP THEIR HEADS!"

we had an impromptu photo shoot...

you can read more about it on sweet jeanne oliver's blog.

i am so grateful to christy tomlinson for gathering together her "trues".

her girlfriends. her soul sisters.

my circle of friendships was strengthened and i even added a beautiful new

sister to my family of friends...love you jamie soucy.

{she even lives in the town i am moving to this summer..such a blessing}

as i said in my last post.

i can.t tell you how blessed i feel to have the opportunity

to gather with such women...

to refuel.

to lift and be lifted.

to have my spirit fed.

to be inspired.

to laugh.

to eat.

to laugh..

to play.

to laugh...

to color.

TO LAUGH SO SERIOUSLY HARD!!!

to sew.

just

"BE".

girlfriends are a necessity of life!

cultivate girlfriends!!

going to the well....

2011-04-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

"Traditionally we are taught, and instinctively we long, to give where it is needed - and immediately. Eternally; woman spills herself away in driblets to the thirsty, seldom being allowed the time, the quiet, the peace, to let the pitcher fill up to the brim."

- ANNE MORROW LINDBERG-

am i the only one who feels this way at times?
like i spill myself in driblets all over the place
and seldom find the time to replenish my provisions?
i am way overdue for a deep plunge into the well.
for the next week i am going to refill my
pitcher with...

a quiet plane ride

a new book

a day of skiing with the honey at my favorite ski resort

searching for a new home at the foot of these beautiful mountains

and then nestling down in logan utah with amazing, creative, lovely friends

like jeanne oliver

and margie aslett...and melody ross...and christy tomlinson

sweet maria simpson

and the talented julie hosley

i can.t tell you how blessed i feel to have the opportunity

to gather with such women...

to refuel.

to lift and be lifted.

to have my spirit fed.

to be inspired.

to laugh.

to eat.

to play.

to color.

to sew.

just

"BE".

i hope that if you find yourself in need of a refill...

that you cultivate some time to do so.

we can.t give if we are on empty.

loves to all of you!

d.i.y. cake stands

2011-04-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

i love to shop at second hand stores.

they are like a HUGE treasure chest for me. i was giving a baby shower awhile back and needed several cake stands. they were so expensive new...

so away to my favorite thrift store and a new project was born.

i found several glass candle sticks from .99 to $1.99.

and lonely white plates from .99 to $3.99

first everyone gets a good hot bubble bath.

next take e-6000 glue {you can get this at craft stores or wal-mart}

trace around the top edge of your candlestick with the glue

with your plate face down on your work surface, tip the glue side of your candlestick over and stick it to the plate.

make sure you push it down firmly.

...oh and make sure you don.t drip glue all over your kitchen table...ooops!

measure each side of the candlestick to make sure it is in the center

of the bottom of the plate.

then take a finger and make a seal around the candlestick as you wipe up the extra glue, making sure you don.t move it's position

continue this process with all your new little pieces.

then let them sit and have a good nights rest in this position.

the next day you can add fun ribbon or vintage finds to the candlesticks.

i love how they look all mixed and matched.

while i was shopping i also picked up a few glass candleholders

for $1.00 a piece

i filled them with pink candies...it was a baby GIRL shower after all...

and for the price of one "new" cake stand...

i had a whole family of cake stands and yummy candy dishes!

anyone having a baby soon? this was just too much fun!

*a cultivate tip: i love that you can easily change out the ribbon and findings to match whatever wonderful morsels you are going to place on your stands. i also made some really "funky" cake stands out of crazy plates and bases,

but thats for another post someday!*

cultivate your ability to turn something old into something new again.

right turn only...

2011-04-06T03:23:00.000-07:00

recently...one of my three sons was faced with making a really hard decision.
it would have been way easier for him to take the path of least resistance,
...as often times teenagers do.
but he made a deep, obedient, heartfelt choice.
one that isn.t considered "popular" or "cool" by the standards of today's youth,
...but clearly the "right"thing to do.
and guess what?
it was hard!!!
often times in life we are faced with choosing between "right" and "wrong".
sometimes the "right" choice is so clear.
but sometimes it is opaque. it's clouded. it's misty.
we have to really study it out in our minds and in our hearts.
many times choosing the right isn.t easy.
but...
i know this to be true....
doing the "right" thing. making the "right"decision...

will always be worth it!!!

cultivate the courage it takes to make the "right" choice for YOU!

ahh weekends...

2011-04-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

make...

a little hope for my weekend.

what is your hope for the upcoming days?

cultivate time to do something you love

silence please...

2011-03-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

"it is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence..

that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us....

as it stands knocking on the doorstep of our hearts."

-k.t. jong-

{photos taken on a recent day trip with my children to sedona arizona.}

cultivate some "silent" moments to hear your heart whispers

pssst....hey chrissy.....

2011-03-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

sometimes we just need

a little reminder!!!

i.ve been so busy taking care of everyone and everything else the past few months that i have neglected the one thing that fills me and always puts a smile on my face.

play time "just for me"!

cultivate a time to "play"..."just for you"!

mr.cake boss....

2011-03-18T12:30:00.001-07:00

dear buddy valastro...

this is a very poor photo of you on my television.

i do not watch you. nothing personal. i just don.t watch t.v.

(except "modern family" which i think is hysterically funny)

my 11 yr. old daughter thinks you are the bomb

and can recount each episode in carlo's bake shop

with distinct detailed precision, right down to the last fondant pansy.

but it is my two oldest boys who have become rather obsessed with your show.

no...this is not a crime scene.

this is my kitchen!!!

this is what happens when two hungry teenage boys

watch a show about your bakery...they get creative!

and messy!

they break out the chef hats.

and sisters become recipe tasters.

all sorts of ingredients that don.t normally hang out together...

get piled high onto spongy sweet beds.

the victorious winners are carefully chosen...

...by a process of (calorie laden) elimination.

and my kitchen and my baking supplies

are left shaking their heads and wondering what in the sweet

"gardner cake boss"

world just happened.

{i am glad i have someone else to blame

for those three pounds i gained last week mr. valastro}

cultivate your creative baking skills with someone you love today!

mom...thanks for letting me be your sunshine!

2011-03-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

{one of my favorites by katie daisy}

i have fond memories of being a little girl on my mother.s lap.

my head on her chest. her arms wrapped tight around me.

rocking. back and forth. back and forth.

"you are my sunshine.

my only sunshine.

you make me happy...

when skies are grey.

you.ll never know dear...

how much i love you.

please don.t take

my sunshine

away"

and without fail, my eyelids would gently close

and i would quickly be dreaming

of being that big bright sunshine in my mother.s sky.

what fond memories do you have that feed your worth?

cultivate the worth of another!

bumps in the road...

2011-03-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

i find that in sharing some of my trials with all of you,

that i am really "never" alone.

there is always someone, somewhere who has trials "beyond" my own.

trials that i don.t think i would have the capacity to endure.

trials that make me grateful that "my own" trials in life...

...are custom made just for me.

just for chrissy.

when trials creep up in my life, i often think..

"ok. why this lesson AGAIN? what am i not learning?"

but i read something today that reminded me that...

"sometimes that which we are doing is 'correct enough' but simply needs to be persisted in...PATIENTLY...not for a minute or a moment but sometimes for years."

i am trying my best to appreciate the trials that come my way.

and to look at them as opportunities to grow.

to stretch.

to reach.

i want to be the kind of person who endures my trials with faith.

my blog is named CUL*TI*VATE

i need to remember "why" i chose that name.

"to prepare. to grow. to develop. to nurture"

i am a believer in that

"whatever ye sow, that shall ye also reap."

but...

between the "sowing" and the "reaping" lies

"ENDURING WITH PATIENCE"

the harvest. MY harvest depends on what i do once my seeds are sown.

i hope to be able to

"ENDURETH

ALL

THINGS"

as i cultivate this life of mine.

i offer my hope to you as well that you may be able to

endure the trials or strifes or bumps in your road.

you have been so kind to me during my "storms" and i am here for you in yours!

with all my love,

chrissy

cultivate the patience to "endureth all things"

today is YOUR gift....embrace it!

2011-02-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

isn.t it interesting how life unexpectedly hands us lessons.

or I should probably say in "my" case....God.

this handsome young man is my first born.

he is 18 years young. he is funny. artistic. musical. athletic.
did i mention funny?

and oh so sweet to his mom.

a week ago last friday i was called to the school because he wasn.t feeling well.

i was met by the school nurse who said they had called 911 and the ambulance and paramedics were on their way. "what in the world?" i was not prepared for what i saw when i came around the corner. my sweet boy was convulsing on the nurses bed. when his eyes met mine there was sheer fear in those sweet browns...a look like "mom...what is happening to me?" "mom...help me!"

i lost it. i wanted to be the calm mom that didn.t freak out but i wasn.t.

in front of dillon i kept it together, but as soon as i stepped around the corner i was gone. my son does MMA {mixed martial arts}. 5 days before this he had been kicked in the head at practice and had gotten a concussion that we didn.t know about. the problem there was that he went back and fought the next night and got hit in the head AGAIN. the second and third hits to a concussion can be some of the most dangerous and the following days his swelling just progressed. they were concerned about brain bleeding and severe swelling. after arriving at the hospital, they were like busy bees coming and going..attending to his needs and attaching every tube and needle they could find to his shaking body. i can.t tell you how grateful i was when two men from my church..{one was one of dillon.s best friends} showed up to give him a blessing of healing. they honestly looked like angels walking in the room. dillon looked so relieved to see them there as well. i have to say that i have an incredibly strong testimony in the power of prayer and this experience just solidified it. no sooner did we say "amen" then dillon.s vital signs began to slowly drop. his convulsions decreased and his eyes began to open and follow my fingers. all the tests they took up to this point came back normal and i KNOW it was nothing short of a miracle of God.s hand.

i had this precious soul home and safe in bed by night fall.

the following days all he did was sleep. and sleep. and sleep some more.

his 4 younger brothers and sisters watched him like hawks. the little ones drew him pictures and make sure he had lots of dr. pepper to drink...his 13 yr. old brother brought him ice cream and video games and movies and told him funny stories. my 15 yr. old daughter has slept by his side since it all happened. she did all his laundry and cleaned his room { NOT an easy task} she has really been there for me as well and i can truly say she is one of my best friends! the kindness and the sweet spirit that has permeated our home since that friday is heavenly. i want to just gather my chicks under my wing and hold them there forever. i want to bottle this "LOVE" we all have for one another and seal the lid real tight. i know it will not last. life is like that. we forget. we become complacent and forget the events that shape us and the people who mean the world to us. we forget that each day is a gift.

dillon's prognosis is good. we are waiting for the results of an MRI.
but he is out of his wheelchair and back on his feet. a blessing that came much faster than any of us had anticipated. i know there have been so many of you who have kept my family in your prayers and for that i am extremely grateful.

do me a favor and take a moment to tell those around you how much you love them. how much they mean to you. be more patient. be present for your loved ones today. leave a note. send a text. bake a cake. listen more. talk less.
JUST LOVE!!!

today is YOUR gift....embrace it!

{i love you dillon...all the way to the moon and back a zillion times!}

cultivate a reverence for the "gift of today"!!!!

"heart" and seek - day 14

2011-02-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

its the 14th friends.

happy heart day to all of you!

i hope someone you love gives you some random LOVE today!

i hope you are able to find LOVE in unexpected places!

i hope you will be able to sit and find some rest in all the LOVE along your way!

i hope every step you take today {and every day} is filled with LOVE!

i hope you.ll remember to look up for LOVE!

{photo of a sycamore leaf found on a LOVE anniversary

by christine at silver linings 4 me. perfect!}

i hope you won.t forget that sometimes the LOVE comes

"after" the really long drink!

i hope that LOVE will always be right beneath your feet!

{wonderful photo of the GREEN HEARTattack of LOVE....

by the amazing tara at aquamarine art. please DO pay her a visit and wish her a most happy valentines day....this was one of my favorite HEART photos}

i hope that the LOVE in your life will always be sweet!

i hope that LOVE will blow right into your life...often.

so be on the lookout to enjoy the surprise...

before the wind picks it up and carries it away again to bless someone else!

i hope the LOVE that surrounds you, will always keep you "happy"!

{my 15 yr. old daughter tess sent me this one day from her room.

she said..."mom, this is the HEART that makes me the "happiest" today.

i love you!} and i HEART you soooooo much, miss tessa!

i hope you will always keep your peepers open.

sometimes LOVE will surprise us so much we won.t believe our eyes.

that.s why it is so important that we always keep our gaze open to it...

it can move in and out of our lives as quickly as the clouds above!

{this seriously once in a lifetime photo was share with me by my unearth sister, lisa towery. it earned it.s way to the famed "shutter sisters" blog as it should.

thank you ever so much lisa for keeping your eyes open and for sharing this LOVE gift with me! i love you!}

i hope that as "we"continue down our own paths that "we" will recognize...especially...when GOD shows us HIS HEART. HIS is the biggest of all, in my opinion. His HEART is all around us. always. HE is so creative! sometimes HE might be right there as we walk out our front door as my sweetest creative friend from "an artful journey"

...peggy krantz of passions of an odd chick...knows all too well.

"One day the sky opened up and showed me God's heart."

{peggy is a beautiful artist and an even more beautiful person. she has a HEART full of gold. the love she has for her children and her sweetHEART and God is so inspiring. visit her and fill your HEART.}

i just want to tell you all how much fun this adventure of "HEART and seek" has been for me this year. i LOVE that we have an army of friends out in the world keeping our eyes focused on LOVE and the good things in life that surround us. you guys are thee best teammates i could ask for.

{start collecting for next year!!!}

cultivate your own HEART so that others will "see" it!!!

xoxo

"heart" and seek - day 13

2011-02-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

starting todays post out with some lightHEARTED surprises.

my sweet friend katherine quinn from sleep and her sisters sent me this fragile find she found in a particularly lucky bag of chips. please please visit katherine. her art and the girls she paints are so HEARTwarming.

you will want one for your wall...i promise.

my children were stoked to find this fried piece of HEART love

in their recent lunch bag adventures.

i hate to even admit this but i simply can.t remember who sent me this most wonderful HEARTsomely ruffled potato. please please tell me if this is yours and totally accept my sincere apology. it is truly a most awesome discovery.

my children discovered that pepperoni pizza is NOT exempt

from a little love every now and then.

they also learned that sometimes there can be HEART attacks

even when they are doing the chores that they hate.

yesterday we went out to breakfast at a little bread company in paradise valley that we HEART. i thought it was particularly appropriate that after i had taken a bite of my watermelon and was putting it back down...this was the view i saw!!! awhhhh!

and on one of my last bites of my scrambled eggs, avocado and tomato...

this discovery was simply some bigHEARTed love to my mouth!!!

such fun!

jen at sadie inspired is another oh so talented artist.

she is so sweet too. i really love visiting her blog. i love how openHEARTed this find became once jen started to really open her eyes to love. it is a wonderful little HEART that has been hiding on her favorite "benefit" makeup that she uses all the time...what a perfect month for it.s coming out party! thanks jen!

a fun little find on my "gates of newport beach" adventure last summer

getting clever with some fallen petals

one of my very first blog friends...jenny wentworth

found these yummy HEART pillows

and this wonderful creative HEART recently...i really love jenny. she is one of those spirits that i just won.t be fully happy until i meet her in person. {hear that jenny?} i just love her that much!

cold HEARTed....maybe, but not if you are really hot and live in phoenix.

my dear dear friend patrice from tending to my nest must be on the same icy HEART wave length as me too....

but honestly...patrice is sooooo NOT cold at all. she is the warmest, most wise and tenderHEARTED woman! she is one of my brave girls and i love her dearly. she is a wizard with a needle and thread and this is just one very very minor example of the magic she creates with her hands...i might even feel a tad bit bad sticking my needles in this awesome HEART pin cushion she made.

shopping at target is always a HEART {and cart} FULL experience for me.

this sweet little love popped out at me just as i was going to drive all my newly bought goods right over it. awhhhhh!

i hope you take the time to see what you are rolling over or pulling out of a {chip?} bag or walking by or putting on your face or about to put in your mouth...what.s at the bottom of your cup?

you never know...it might be a surprise HEART attack

and you wouldn.t want to miss it now would you!

cultivate a new perspective with which to see the LOVE around you!

"heart" and seek - day 12

2011-02-12T17:25:00.001-07:00

have i told you all how much i HEART you?

well i.m...

this is one of my most favorite little gifts. i keep it where i can look at the love it represents...any time i need it. which is usually "all" the time. who doesn.t need a "great big hug" every day right? it was given to me my one of my best friends ever...kolleen harrison from HEART wing sisters. {the first official "unearth" sister i was blessed to meet." absolutely adore her.

on to the HEART adventure. we are getting down to the wire here friends... i am going to bust out some serious HEART eye candy today...hang on!

my sweet scarf sister valerie tookes was on the platform waiting for the train to take her to work and when she looked down this sneaky, albeit wonderful HEART was right under her toes. {valerie is also guest posting on our dear friend vivienne mcmasters blog this week...check it out}

another "unearth scarf sister" of mine is dear patty waite from nomadic notebook . patty must have been born with a camera in her hands. this amazing woman has traveled all over the place and seriously has the most wonderful eye. her photos always bring me joy. the photo above is actually called "HEART ROCK" and has an entire hike in it.s honor in crestline, CA. this is the closest you can get to it. at some point, someone threw that stick at it and it landed in the perfect cupid arrow.s spot.

valley of fire state park, nevada

patty playing around with her zoom lens and got a wonderfully HEART warming surprise.

a collaboration of patty and our sweetest friend marilyn on the oregon coast...

{LOVE you marilyn!}

here patty was just taking a photo of a juicy watermelon...

it wasn.t until after, that she discovered the HEART.

you will want to pop over to patty.s blog. she is wonderful!

it must be that i am getting a lot of love from my "unearth sisters" this week.

this wonderful crayon love is from jennifer at giggling in the rain. i have mentioned her here before. she is really one of the kindest spirits i have ever come across. our friend mindy of tims sally just wrote of the influence jennifer has had on her art. it is in the present issue of ARTFUL BLOGGING.

jennifer shared this photo with me today. her words are so much more poetic than mine so i.ll just let her explain this photo...

"You my dear, have opened me up to this whole new world of HEARTS. And when it was spring time and the world was not blanketed in this white coating I was able to see brilliant colors and beautiful flowers. One of my favorite things to do is to grab my camera and photograph what I see. I remember this day so clearly. It was a tough one for me. Something HEARTbreaking had happened and I was torn to pieces. But on my walk I found these and in the past I may have walked right by. But they looked like HEARTS to me. I thought of you immediately and my HEART began to heal.

Thank you my dear for opening me up to so much love that surrounds me."

i HEART you SOOO much miss jennifer. PERIOD!!!!

i have shared the amazing art of my unearth sis...kelly barton with you before.

you will never be sorry for visiting her blog. ever.

my own HEART was especially touched when she sent me this photo of a HEART she had made just for me. seriously...my " HEART IS full" kelly....and you filled it up!

thank you so much my dear.

gloria king of creating free spirit

is one of the kindest, most gentle, wickedly creative, super mamas of the world. and she also happens to be another one of my dearly beloved unearth scarf sisters. miss G shared this photo with me and i.ll tell you one reason why i love it so much...sweet gloria pointed out that "I love that {this HEART} is broken but since it is the trunk of the tree it will hold itself together and stay strong." isn.t that a beautiful vision? how true is that of us in life. our HEARTS are going to break occasionally, but if we make sure our roots are nourished and strong...we WILL survive!

one of the best things in the world is when you meet a dear soul who becomes a creative sister, a scarf sister, an unearth sister and then this amazingly, sweet, talented woman meets you in idaho and becomes your "brave girl" sister too. i am speaking of serena berry of the bumpy life. she shares her latest HEART find with us..right above...but honestly...her real HEART is like a bagillion sizes bigger. love you serena girl.

thank you again for all the HEART shares that keep coming my way.
this is honestly such an honor to feel as much love as i have the past two weeks.

smoooooches to yooooouches!
{especially my unearth sisters today!}

cultivate some time to send some unexpected LOVE to someone in your life today!

"heart" and seek day - 11

2011-02-11T14:23:00.002-07:00

today i want to focus on several of the HUGE HEARTS you have out there.

there are so many wonderful HEART surprises floating around right now.

kristin dudish

has a wonderful blog and she has posted some serious HEART eye candy this week. this snow~~ball~~HEART was one of my favorites.

please visit her to see all her wonderfulness.

laura clauson

is a new friend of mine in the this big old HEARTY blog.o.sphere

she has share some of the most wonderful HEARTS with me recently

along with her own sweet HEART she possesses.

i am so happy we are new friends laura.

please check out her most recent HEART sightings HERE

because i am a lover of all things old and chippy this discovery

by kelly at cherry doodles instantly won over my own HEART.

and honestly...how closely would kelly have had to been examining this tree to find this little hidden bark of love? it.s wonderful. this tree was actually a whole "tree of love". drop by kelly.s post HERE to see exactly what we mean.

i wanted to save kelly.s chip of the old HEART block for a whole "chip" HEART theme i have brewing but time is a tickin and we only have 3 more "official" days of this "HEART" and seek game.

i just want to know if you had the HEART to eat it kelly?

snowballs, rocks, ferns, leafs, entire trees, tortilla chips and even (and best of all) old chipped paint. i hope that you are now in the full blown habit of seeking for HEARTS no matter where you are or what you are looking at.

cultivate a special eye for seeing LOVE wherever you are!

"heart" and seek - day 10

2011-02-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

when you were little did your mom or maybe your grandma or aunt ethel ever tell you..."don.t play with your food". i loved when the book "PLAY with your food" by joost elffers came out. i thought...redemption...finally!

the other morning i was taking an unusually long breakfast break and reading up on the news around the world...and i decided to "play with my food".

no surprise what these yummy plump blueberries

magically became over the weather section.

two weeks ago we tried a new italian cafe in town and i had the yummiest salad. i was almost down to my last few bites when BAM! right in front of me the cutest chicken HEART love almost jumped right on my fork. one of the reasons it.s always so wonderful to have your camera in your purse!

i love fruit. berries especially. i go crazy in the summer when they are in abundance. i love to eat fruit over plain greek yogurt

and top it with a sprinkling of healthy granola.

well apparently this time it loved me right back! squeeeeel!

this happened just this week at breakfast time.

i had barely slid my eggs off my awesome new non-slip pan and onto my waiting plate and was attempting to cover it in avocados....when my 11 yr. old micah threw her arms across me to halt my progress and exclaimed..."MOM!!!! a scrambled HEART!!!" i love it when these little ones find them before i do. it seriously tickles me! an egg HEART!!! get out!!!!

speaking of micah...this is her cantaloupe HEART! totally not random.

but seriously clever none the less!

{play with your food..like mother like daughter}

the seriously talented kelly warren from happy shack designs

shared this HEART warming surprise right out of the oven.

she has theeee cutest red headed twins you.ll ever see.

the other day dad was at work so it was a total "girls day"...

"We made cookies and out popped this perfect little heart. Olivia held the spatula while I took a picture, and then realizing it was a bit blurry went to take another one at the precise moment it slid off the spatula and broke into three pieces. Livvie just looked at me and said, “Uh, oh.” And I said, “Look! It broke into three parts, and there are three of us, so that just means we have to eat it!” And we did. And it, and the many more we ate throughout the day, was yummy. "

HEARTS do bring people close together.

the sheer excitement when there is a surprise HEART sighting has every one in my home running to see the newest discovery.

don.t overlook your dinner tonight...there may be one lying in wait just for YOU!

"heart" and seek - day 9

2011-02-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

you guys are the best at "HEART" and seek.

seriously. i.ve been invited to some splendid HEART sighting posts.

for example....janna from creating life in small steps

you know how i HEART HEART rocks!

HEART healthy HEART attacks from the garden.

this one blew me away...the story is even more HEART warming

because janna found it on a walk with her sweet dad.

i know! i know! isn.t this just the best ever!

how many of us would have just glanced right on by old bessie.s crown of love?

you can see janna.s entire post here. it.s wonderful.

tara from new day new season

has a really sweet hubby who declared his love to her one morning

in pecans! NO ONE has ever told me they love me in pecans before..and you?

{connie and me}

last october at brave girls camp i met an angel by the name of connie

she was at the camp ENTIRELY to serve others. she had been to the very first camp melody and kathy had put on and felt so deeply about it that she volunteered her time and her HEART to go back a year later and give back. lucky for me she lives in arizona just a few hours away so we get to go to lunch when she is in town. total blessing for me.

anyway. connie uses her laptop pretty much every day, but it wasn.t until she started actively looking for HEARTS that she discovered one

right under her nose.

"i use my laptop pretty much every day and low and behold this {heart} was right next to my hands. i didn't even notice it until i looked more deeply. next to me daily by my right hand. {hearts} are all around us if we just open our mind and our {hearts} and look."

-connie-

christine from silver linings 4 me

has been one of my number partners in HEART crime at this game.

she looks at this angel all the time and just NOW discovered the HEART in her wings!

and a walk on the beach just isn.t complete until you find a sea weed HEART.

right christine!

i hope you know how excited i get when you guys share these finds with me.

i can HEARTly breath.

pecans. squash. rocks. computers. angels. even cows....

no one or nothing is exempt from a surprise HEART assault.

"heart" and seek - day 8

2011-02-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

i LOVE you guys. i hope you know that.

one of our favorite things to do at the beach is draw stuff in the sand.

usually with our toes or a washed up stick. there is always always a HEART!

we leave random little ones around the place to give the beach-goers some love.

another beach tradition is to gather all the HEART rocks we can.

i could do an entire post just on HEART rocks alone.

i HEART...HEART rocks.

and seashells are always good for beachy surprise HEART discoveries.

there is so much love washing ashore on beaches every day.

i wish i lived by a beach. how wonderful would it be to get up every morning and go for an early stroll just knowing that you were going to stumble upon some kind of HEART love to start your day!

i met sweet stella singleton last year at an artful journey. she is so much fun and has a really great blog that you should visit. she found this little beauty hiding at a swap meet in quartzite, arizona. i bet no one else can say that.

i read a comment recently on someone.s blog...{can.t remember whose}

and this particular woman said she had NEVER even seen a HEART rock.

i about choked on my tilapia that i was eating.

HOW SAD!!! please tell me that you all have found at least one HEART rock in your life. please! please! if not...i want you to put down whatever you are doing and promise me you won.t lay your head on the pillow tonight until you have gone outside and found a HEART rock. they are everywhere just waiting for you to hold them in your hand. and if your land is covered by snow and you just can.t make it happen. please let me know and i will find one for you myself and i will send it to you.

i will. i'm serious.

cultivate a expedition to find your own HEART rock to have and hold.

"heart" and seek - day 7

2011-02-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

be still my "HEARTS" for chrissy

wouldn.t it be fun to fill a whole bowl full of these wonderful wooden HEARTs? one of my dearest friends that i have met in blogland is lorraine from paper bird.i have had the blessing of meeting up with lorraine in person after our HEARTS connected online. she is truly one of thee most authentically wonderful human beings i have ever met. everything she does is just pure sugar. i don.t know a sweeter more charitable friend than lorraine. she shared the lumber love above and i have to say that one of those HEARTS was tenderly carved by hand just for her.. by the sweetHEART of her life.

SWOOON!!!

there is something about sitting with a hot cup of your favorite beverage

and just exhaling for a few moments. {i KNOW...i tried this recently} it makes it all the more comfy when there is a HEART surprise kissing your lips

with every sip!

sweet kate from studio k8 and me shared the two photos above.

i love the what she named the last one..."raining HEARTs"

isn.t that perfect. what if it DID rain HEARTs? the world would be such a better place. kate is a friend i met on the oregon coast along with 23 other AMAZING women. she recently {finally} started a blog and i am so excited to share her with you. she is one to watch. trust me!

and speaking of watching....keep your eyes peeled for HEART sightings.

they are everywhere and you might miss a good one if you aren.t careful.

{more about one that almost got away soon....}

cultivate a homemade HEART...out of glass or wood or even whipped cream.

surprise someone you love today!

"heart" and seek - day 6

2011-02-06T21:55:00.000-07:00

"everybody everybody wants to love. everybody everybody wants to be loved"

please bare with me today as i share with you a few

HEARTF-U-L-L moments i gave to myself this week to soak in a loving gesture.

it is a super HEARTwarming experience when a dear friend of yours graces the pages of a publication. in this case...artful blogging. it is even better when that dear friend shares her heART spotlight with another dear friend and speaks of the love and inspiration they both have shared with one another.

mindy lacefield of tim.s sally and jennifer beltoff of giggling in the rain

are two gifted, soulful women that i have the privilege of calling my friends.

we met on the oregon coast at the unearth retreat by liz lamoreux.

since that time...it has been a joy and a treat to watch both of these creative spirits grow and be oh so brave in putting themselves out there.

in the most recent issue of artful blogging mindy tells in her own words how the poetic thoughts of jennifer.s heart have inspired her own artwork. she pairs her imaginative style with jennifer.s writings and credits jennifer for helping her to get past that fear of writing and opening up on her blog "from the HEART"...in her words..."jennifer was my star. she was there for me giving me the light i needed to guide me home." i love the coming together of these two HEARTs and to sit at my favorite little bookshop and drink a skinny vanilla milk topped with HEART cream while reading every yummy detail was the best present i gave myself this week.

it was a double dose of HEART love on this special afternoon

because i had not one, not two...but three sweet soul friends sharing their stories on the pages of artful blogging.

artist and brave girl sister of mine... kelly lish from love is my religion also

graced on the pages with the HEART filled art journey she has embarked on.

kelly is truly one of the kindest women you will ever have the chance to meet.

her art is whimsical and full of life.

i love her dearly and seeing her art in print just sent my HEART soaring.

so my "HEART and seek" finds for today

were actually found deep within my "real" HEART.

{the cream HEART on my delicious beverage was just a happy extra}

i love you mindy, jennifer and kelly.

my HEART soars with you as you find your wings and take flight!

cultivate a HEART to encourage and lift others!

"heart" and seek - day 5

2011-02-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

{photo found here }

when i was a little girl valentines were never ever bought from a store.

my mom would get a new pack of "construction" paper and i would have to pick out all the reds and whites and pinks. there would be crate paper so we could cut it into little squares and wrap it around the eraser side of a pencil then we would glue it down onto unsuspecting HEART forms. there was glitter...lots of messy glitter that we could find in cracks and crevices months later. and doilies. i loved doilies. i still love doilies. i remember how hard it was to separate them into just one. they liked to stick together those doilies did. saved cards from years gone by were trimmed down and given new life on my homemade valentines. markers were obviously a must have and the most important tool was a big bottle of wonderful old elmers glue. i can remember using so much glue that sometimes my valentines would still be soggy when i delivered them....and speaking of DELIVERING...

am i the only one in america who "skipped" to their friends homes, valentines swinging from a brown paper bag and carefully tip-toed onto the porch and ever so gently laid my glorious piece of love art down on the mat just perfectly...rang the bell...and RAN LIKE MAD????

my kids tell me every year when i make them do this with me...

"mom!!! this is doorbell ditching!!! we are gonna get C-A-U-G-H-T!!!"

"that.s part of the fun!!!" i say as i ring the next door neighbors bell

and leave them in the dust!!!

so this leads me into day 5 of "HEART and seek"

this little game is leaving me a tad nostalgic. see...every time i get a new email i hear a little "bell" sound {it.s usually annoying} but not this month. no! this month i run to the computer. throw open my mailbox and see if i have a new HEART surprise from you guys! it makes me feel like i am little all over again.

this wonderful happy budda HEART love came to my facebook mailbox from

the oh so talented and super beautiful kelly barton. please check out her website as she always has the most wonderful wisdom and fun to share.

...not to mention her art ROCKS.

the next time my doorbell rang i ran to see who was there and lucky day for me!

someone had left me, not one, but two love surprises.

that someone is one of my besties in the whole world...kolleen harrison

from HEARTwing sisters. {wink wink...she should have a lot of HEARTS right} on a recent walk these HEARTs snuck up on K. she thought it was especially kind of them to come in pairs and she even suggested looking at it as a smiley face and the one HEART is the mouth. do you see it?

as she continued her walk she found the best HEART attack ever...

she said it so beautifully in her own wise words...

"HI SWEET CHEEKS.....SO TODAY ON MY WALK I STUMBLED UPON THIS SWEET HEART THAT LOOKS LIKE IT IS FLOATING ON A STRING.

I STOPPED....TOOK IT IN AND THOUGHT THIS IS HOW I FEEL WHEN MY KIDS SMILE AT ME OR SCOTT TAKES MY HAND OR A FRIEND CALLS JUST TO CHECK IN....

I FEEL LIKE MY HEART IS FLOATING!"

i could have not said it more perfectly myself kolleen!

part of the joy of this "HEART and seek" for me...is watching all of you open your eyes to the love around you. many of you have said that once you started actively looking for HEARTS, you began to see them everywhere. isn.t that awesome! such is the case with this teensy tiny paper love from

jennifer at giggling in the rain. i adore the fact that she noticed a HEART so small and seemingly insignificant...yet it DID make a BIG difference in her day. i promise if you take a visit to jennifer.s blog you will be giving your own HEART a huge gift. jennifer.s words are like chocolate!

keep looking for love my friends...it might be so tiny you have to squint or it could be right under your feet. LOVE IS EVERYWHERE!

cultivate the ability to see love in small spaces

"heart" and seek - day 4

2011-02-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

i.m still crying about the cold weather here in arizona.
when waterfalls freeze in phoenix...you KNOW you got some freezing temps floatin around. and since many of your homes are under a blanket of snow today...i thought it would be nice to have something a bit HEART warming on this section of "HEART and seek" reminding us that snow melts and warmer weather is always around the corner.

antoinette visagie from cape town, south africa
was kindHEARTedly surprised in a tiny rural village on a trip to
thailand last year. what perfect proof that HEART love sets NO boundaries.

christine from silver linings 4 me
shared this petal love that she and her hubby found at a fun get.away together.

christine also shared a DELAYED.HEART.SURPRISE. she took this photo way last november and just now, the sweet HEART decided to show itself to her. {it.s because it.s february and they are sneaky like that christine!}

this tenderHEART just happened to capture my eye the other morning as the sun was coming through the back windows of our home. i am quite certain it wouldn.t have called to me if it were any other time of year.

don.t you just LOVE the openHEARTedness among this month of AMORE!!!

cultivate some HEARTwarming action around your sweet selves today

"heart" and seek - day 3

2011-02-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

ser·en·dip·i·ty - noun

{ser-uhn-dip-i-tee}

1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.

happy 3rd day of "HEART and seek".

have you ever used the word" serendipity" in a sentence? well, i haven.t.

until today....TA DA! i always thought that it was a flavor of ice cream.

guess what? it.s not. {okay maybe it is, but it.s so much more}

last night as i was typing away at my computer and thinking about which HEARTS i wanted to share with you today...

i happened to also be peeling an orange and what to my eyes.....

serendipity!!!

a super wonderful VERY desirable discovery by accident

so lucky was i, that my camera was sitting right next to me.

don.t you just LOVE it when HEARTfull accidents happen like that?

i am still giddy over it.

jennifer at studio JRU

had a yummy discovery when she was so sweetly baking oatmeal raisin cookies for her sweetHEART...of course one of them was going to jump right out of the oven and show her some sugar. you can read about her discovery HERE

catherine at "an angel in the garden"

seriously had the most wonderful 50th birthday lunch. gorgeous surroundings. good friends. good food and a surprise birthday HEART around

her frittata to boot. you can read about her celebration HERE

{i honestly get hungry everytime i look at this photo}

and since i am rollin on the subject of food HEART attacks it might be a perfect time to share this frozen yogurt love with you! we have a yogurt shop here that is to die for. yes. i would eat there everyday if you let me. my HEART skipped a beat when my daughter sank her spoon into the creamy wonderfulness and out popped a perfectly delightful symbol of LOVE!

{photo taken with a excited hand and a bad phone camera}

so...watch your food very very carefully the next few weeks.

this is prime season for HEART serendipity!

cultivate an accidental desirable HEART discovery for someone you love today!

"heart" and seek - day 2

2011-02-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

you people are hilarious. last year on my first day of our 14 day observation i got 14 comments and guess what you did again? yep! 14 comments on our first day of heart seeking fun. you guys never cease to amaze me!

ok. on to the fun.

i.m kickin off todays game of "HEART and seek" with my very own 10 toes.
i know. you can.t see them because they are covered up
by the sassiest pair of dirt kickers i have ever owned.

honestly! with so much peace lovin. HEART dancin. wing singin. leather love...
how can my feet just not be happy! my dad gave me these for christmas.
{truth be told... i gave him 1 or 200 hints}
but how was a HEART lover like me not made for these boots?
i was!! i say!! thanks dad!

while we are on the subject of dirt..{well dirt kickers}
check out what sweet loving tater came out of the earth to surprise dear lisa.
i couldn.t even cut into it if it were mine.

this sandy beach was the final resting home for this drift wood love.
my unearth gals lisa and danielle were the HEART seeking explorers
who discovered it.

i hope your HEART adventures keep you warm today.
it.s FREEEEEZING here in phoenix. i know. i know. some of you just rolled your eyes at me and said..."Sweetheart you don.t even KNOW cold".
but our blood is thinner here than yours.
at least that.s my excuse and i.m stickin with it.

to bring some HEART love into my home today i.m gonna make these

you can too if you visit dottie angel.
one of my new favorite artists thanks to lorraine and patrice.

peace "HEART" out.

cul*ti*vate a creative heart to hang in YOUR home

"heart" and seek - day 1

2011-02-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

it.s here. the month of LOVE.

actually every month should be a LOVEly month.

but this month LOVE seems to be floating in the air.

there is lots of red and pink

and roses and chocolate (the more the better) everywhere you set your gaze.

and there are HEARTS. HEARTS. HEARTS!

so let.s bake up a batch of love and have ourselves a huge slice of

"HEART" and seek. ready! set! go!

just try to guess what left this HEART print?

give up? a tiny furry rabbit friend. isn.t that the best gift!

it is no surprise to me at all, that this bit of love snuck up

on my sweetest friend rachel awes in her favorite broken coffee cup.

seriously... love just follows her wherever she goes.

{and rabbits too!}

and this might be a stretch, but play along with me here.

none of us has a perfect HEART right?

we all have had our chips and dents.

we.ve veered off course a bit now and then. grown a tad crooked.

i think that.s one of the reasons i like this cactus HEART my little guy found

in sedona, arizona. it reminds me that no two HEARTS are the same.

we are all loving along different trails in life.

...and that my friends is a beautiful, HEARTful thing.

cul*ti*vate "your" unique heart

do what you love

2011-01-29T12:13:00.001-07:00

i am a huge believer in retreats. ever since my very first one on the oregon coast with the most amazing women... i have been hooked. there is something so astonishing about a group of like-minded souls coming together in a unified desire to create. there is something so freeing about stepping away from the everyday and focusing on yourself. indulging in your own creative spirit.

last february i was blessed to attend an artful journey.

three whole days of mati rose mcdonough & kelly rae roberts.

during those days i was able to add to my creative family. my community.

my tribe...many wonderful women. i want to introduce you to one today...

please meet beth nicholls.

oh my goodness i love her. this beautiful soul has done more with her short life than most people could ever do in two lifetimes. her story is enchanting.

her talent..endless. while creating next to her for several days, the concept of "doing what you love" came up often. beth had traveled all the way from yorkshire, england to attend the retreat. the idea of planting her own retreats closer to home was born and beth has been cultivating the idea for the past year. because beth has gleaned much joy in her life by choosing to "do what she loves"... she has a passionate desire to share that dream with others.

to offer the tools and inspiration to follow your heart.

i am so excited to introduce you to the harvest of beths labor.

i just have to tell you that if there was one retreat i could go on in a lifetime...this would be it.

deep in the serene english countryside where families of deer and rabbit roam...

there is a cozy cabin waiting just for you and your newfound friends...

to come and exhale. to process the inspiration received.

and to rejuvinate your creative spirit.

{above three pictures by "natural retreats"}

beth has put together an impressive array of teachers for this retreat

flora bowley - painting

rachel hazell - book art

priscilla jones- mixed media

plus a host of creative enterprise sessions to help grow your creative business.

i hope you will take a moment and pop on over to read more about this

amazing retreat HERE!!! please say hi to beth.

i promise you will instantly want to be her friend too.

she has so much to share.

cul*ti*vate a "dream" retreat for yourself

calling all hearts....

2011-01-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

if you.ve been reading my blog for sometime you may recall my little experiment last february. if not, you can read all about it right HERE. see i have this obsession with hearts. i just love them. i love all the possibilities they respresent. i even like the word HEART. the letters just look cute together. one of my favorite things to do is to try to find "surprise hearts". hearts that jump out at you when you least expect it and from the most unusual places...a stump of wood, your noodle soup, a hair on the bathroom floor...you get what i mean right? last february for 14 days i went on a search for hearts. here.s how i did it.

"every 24 hours i am going to find a heart hidden or maybe just camouflaged or eclipsed or hushed somehow and give it a coming out party. a debut. throw it out there for a formal introduction to the world.

heck, it doesn't even have to be concealed.

i am calling all hearts.

and when i stumble upon them...i am going to share them with you!"

{spilt milk heart and cookies}

it was great fun and the best part is i got a lot of you to play along...pretty soon i was getting photos of suspicious hearts from all over the place. I LOVED IT! so, starting february 1st i am going to host my 2nd annual

"looking for love in "unexpecting" places.

a 14 day observation"

now i.ve been gathering a few "surprises" with my children over the past few months and i can.t wait to see what you.ve discovered as well.

to play along...simply leave me a comment with a link to your discovery (a photo of it to be precise) or email it to me HERE...along with a link to your website so i can send heart seekers over yonder way...(or not.) i.ll post all the heart rendering fun right here starting next tuesday!

cul*ti*vate all the "surprise hearts" your little eyes can find.

when the tempests rage...

2011-01-24T11:41:00.001-07:00

{photo found here}

i.ve been thinking about storms lately.

it.s been quite windy here in peoria, arizona the past few nights.

last night at about 12:30 i felt a little hand touch my face.

"i can.t sleep mom." ...back went the covers and in crawled a little girl who tucked herself under my arms and fell fast asleep. almost two hours later i heard the speedy pitter pat of small feet running towards my bedside.

{the feet of one who has recently developed a GIGANTIC fear of natural disasters} onto the bed he leapt.."i had a bad dream and the wind outside is SOOO scary." under the sheets dove his 9 yr old body with his head resting right next to my heart.

for the next 5 hours as i lay sandwiched between my 2 youngest

i marveled at how by just being next to me. touching me. knowing i was there.

...suddenly the howling winds outside the window weren.t as scary

and they were able to get rest.

last week i had a few storms of my own arise

{nothing devastating...but storms none the less}

i believe in God. i like to call him my Heavenly Father because it makes my relationship with him more intimate...like i REALLY am his child.

i know that not everyone shares my belief.

but

i am so grateful that i have somewhere i can turn. somewhere i can run when the winds pick up and start to howl and things get a bit scary. and although the storms may still be swirling about...

i feel His arms around me.

i know i am safe.

i know i am loved.

and

i can find rest.

where do you go when the tempests rage?

where do you find rest amidst the storms?

cul*ti*vate a safe place from the storms of life

on sitting still...

2011-01-17T15:43:00.001-07:00

i think i am reigning in my vision to a more translucent path.

instead of many trails of earth and pebble and sea,

pulling me in multiple directions,

by sitting silent...

ever so silent...

{impatiently at times i might add}

the edges have begun to blur

and the path that lies ahead

is now

clearly emerging.

sometimes we have to sit still

give our hearts time to process and speak back to us.

i am still learning this lesson about my soul.

cul*ti*vate your "still heart" times

the lovely VIVIENNE McMASTER...

2011-01-14T00:15:00.000-07:00

i have been so darn excited about today.s post i could hardly stand it.

i am honestly thrilled to share with you my very first "guest"on cul*ti*vate.

this woman is one of the most beautiful, authentic souls you will ever meet.

her photography is going to knock your socks off.

her self portraits are especially jaw dropping and i am joyful to share that viv is on a mission to bestow unto us many of the truths she has learned

through her journey into self-portraiture and photography.

i can truly say "i love her to death!" and mean every scrumptious letter of it.

VIVIENNE McMASTER

Letting Ourselves Shine {a Guest Post by Vivienne McMaster}

I met the lovely Chrissy last year at an art retreat. I adored her the moment I met her. Why? Because she is radiant. Truly.

Her spirit shines through her so brightly.

So when pondering what aspect of self-portrait photography

I wanted to share in this guest post I thought of talking about radiance and letting our inner spirit shine through.

Perhaps you, like me, have struggled with getting your photos taken. I never felt like who I really am shone through and I get critical of the physicalities of myself in the photo. What is really at the core of whether I like a photo or not isn’t about my body (though my psyche sure likes to pretend it is).

It is whether or not my essence shone through.

It was a big realization for me when I saw that I was capable of taking photos that did indeed let that spark of who I truly am appear.

Sometime I let the sunlight help me radiate my own light, other times playfulness and movement bring it out in me.

Perhaps for you it might be your radiant smile or the way your mama self shines when you are in photos with your kids. Maybe it is when surrounded by friends or after a beautiful walk. What makes you shine?

Let’s try and remember to shine our light when someone aims the camera at us or we aim it at ourselves. Let’s remember what makes us feel like our most true selves and let that radiate. Sometimes it can be awkward or challenging to push through and find ways to do that but I swear it makes all the difference with the way we relate to photos.

Of course there are some days when we don’t want to be shiny and bright. I’ve learned through continually aiming the camera at myself that those photographs are equally valuable to me.

Whether it is someone else taking our photo or inviting ourselves to step into the photo as a self-portrait I am on a mission to encourage us all to play around with how we can find ways to feel seen in photographs, to feel beautiful or playful or truthful when we see them and to capture moments along the way.

Let’s let ourselves shine.

Vivienne is a photographer that is head over heels for self-portraiture and the potential it has to shift our self-perceptions. She teaches e-courses in self-portraiture and developing our visual voice through photography. You can find out more about her and her courses at www.viviennemcmaster.com

starting january 17th vivienne will be hosting the online class

"Wading In-dipping our toes into self-portraits"

or you might was to jump in with both feet and check out

"You are Your Own Muse-a self portrait e-course adventure"

either way...you will NOT be disappointed...i promise!

thank you ever so much lovely vivienne...i am so blessed to call you my friend!

cul*ti*vate your own radiance

hmmmm? which path to follow?

2011-01-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

am i the only one having a hard time

choosing which paths i want to follow in 2011?

i feel like there are a plethora of choices out there for me.

so many wonderful opportunities to explore.

so many classes to choose from.

a basketful of retreats i want to attend.

an abundance of friends i desire to connect with.

loads of artful ideas in my brain just bursting to come forth.

sewing and stitching and painting and photography....

my dear friends....

how do you narrow down your paths?

how do you beautiful souls decide which paths are the

important ones for you to follow this year?

{i.m serious...i need your help}

cul*ti*vate the paths YOU are meant to follow

soul restoration!!! we all need it!!!

2011-01-10T21:12:00.001-07:00

calling all wonderful friends...

only a few more hours to sign up for

SOUL RESTORATION

melody and kathy are taking registrations through midnight (mtn time) tonight

if you have been looking for yourself lately...

or have been bombarded by all the nasty little lies that trickle into our lives...

this may be the perfect gift to give yourself this year

SOUL RESTORATION

this class will explore the same amazing curriculum i did at

BRAVE GIRLS CAMP!!!

you can read about it here here

here here or here

i hope to see you there!!!

xo

*** UPDATE ***
SOUL RESTORATION PART I will be held again in april 2011. registration will begin around january 18th.
SOUL RESTORATION PART II is coming june 2011.

cul*ti*vate your soul

i need to learn how to knit...

2011-01-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

i hope everyone had a most wonderful Christmas

and a happy (and safe) new year.s eve.

i know that i and my family really did.

every year i always say...

"this was the best Christmas ever! it will never get better than this."

and magically it always does, the next year always seems to top the last.

most of you know that i live in arizona.

we don.t get snow where i live. actually we break out our uGG boots

and our woolen goodies and crank the heat if it goes below 60 degrees here.

i know. i know. babies.

but i wasn.t always this way.

see...i was born and raised on mountainous utah territory.

i loved the cold. the snow. the skiing. 4 wheel drive. the snowman making.

the shoveling..(not so much) but you get the picture.

so i was as surprised as anyone when my blood started to thin
when we moved to phoenix 14 yrs. ago.

winter treks back home produced more "hot showers", "fires"

and "layers of clothes". "mounds of blankets" and "those hand warmer thingies that you shake and they get warm..in every available pocket"

2011 will most likely move our family back to the frigid winters

of the beehive state. after spending the holidays there, i realized...
i am not ready for the cold.
i happened upon these photos today and they made perfect sense to me.
knitted lovelies for things that don.t even need to stay warm.

i pods

bicycles {love this one}

apples

trees

street signs

soap

cars

wishing you all a warm new year!

{what would you cover with a fuzzy sweater if you had the chance?}

photos found here

important lessons from a 9 year old...

2010-12-24T06:48:00.002-07:00

have you ever been asked a question that stops you in your tracks?

makes you wonder what in the big gigantic world you have been doing?

let me paint you a picture...

this beautiful blue eyed wonder is my youngest.

last week as we were all driving in the car,

probably hurrying along to somewhere unimportant

i hear these words from the back of the car...

"mom? mom, if christmas were on sunday, would you make us go to church?"

{if you are laughing right now, you are totally following me here...}

insert knife to heart and turn.

see....this time of year means many different things to many people.

for me, it is a time to reflect and give thanks

for a child, born in humble circumstances many years ago.

{beautiful artwork found here...}

i love christmas. i love the decorating. the baking. the twinkle lights.

getting out our nutcrackers. the carols. the wrapping paper.

jingling my kids to bed. gingerbread houses. my neighbors fudge.

i love all of it.

{artwork by my beautiful friend kelly lish...}

but when stockton asked me if i would make him go to church on christmas,

i had to wonder what about christmas was i not celebrating?

what kind of example was i being to my children?

{artwork by liz lemon swindle

i want my children to know how grateful i am for a savior.

i want them to know that christ is what i love most about christmas.

i hope that as christmas descends upon us tomorrow you have

the most joyful day with loved ones. i hope that you are able to celebrate

what truly means the most to you about this season

and "yes stockton! if christmas were on sunday,

it would be a blessing to go to church my dear

and we would most certainly be there!"

merry christmas to you all!

cul*ti*vate the true reason of the season for you!

{i will be taking my family skiing next week...i.ll see you back here next year! muah!}

ginger"BOND" houses....

2010-12-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

when i was a little girl my mom would have all the young girls in our church come over and she would teach them how to make gingerbread trains.

they were never as elaborate as this one i found here

but i always loved the little frosting bags and the ginger smell

and the sound of little candies hitting the tile floor.

every year i say "we are going to make gingerbread houses together."

and every year passes with no sugary sweet cottages to display.

until this year!

let the decorating mess begin...

i knew the little ones would love it....

and the girls for sure.

but i was surprised that the boys were the ones who really got into it.

especially my 18 yr. old. {he.s an artist}

look how darn clever he is...

his snowman is wearing an elks lodge hat.

they were proud of their architecture.

some a bit more obvious than others.

and in the end it was such a festive bonding experience.

a ginger"bond" party.

new christmas tradition? check.

cul*ti*vate a new tradition with the ones you love.